Chapter 451: Supple As Water

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock

But upon coming to this conclusion, Yu ManLou was even more confused. Even if the Shui Family was working together with the First Pavilion, was there really a need to fight tooth and nail just to save an outsider? Even if it was to rope him in, the danger involved was really too great. If he had discovered in advance that there was another two of them involved, and set out an intricate trap, it would not be difficult to capture all of them forever! However, it was possible that the First Pavilion was founded by the Shui Family initially. If that was the case, then the ability of the Shui Family had to be re-evaluated! With the First Pavilion assisting the Shui Family, their strength would rise to a new height! Wait a minute… Yu ManLou suddenly came to another conclusion, which seemed more plausible based on logic...

The next night, Bright Jade City was once again engulfed in another round of bloodshed. After the new batch of officials stepped up into their positions, another round of assassinations quickly followed! The difference this time was that the death count was even higher than before, and the situation more severe, with at least 70 odd officials being killed. Even worse was that the government buildings were set on fire and with the blaze spreading, hundreds of families lost their homes, and over a hundred were burned to death.

Based on the rumors, even the lofty and towering Yu Family also faced huge losses during this incident. The blaze in the Yu Residence reached to the skies and was seen by countless people. To see the greatest power of Bright Jade City being attacked was a rare sight, causing everyone to fear for their own safety. Bright Jade City then set down an order, and the original imperial troops that belonged to the Yu Family now surrounded the entire city. The rumors spread that in his anger the Yu Family Head had employed all his experts to search the city for the killers. In an instant, the city was filled with the white robes of the various White Jade Experts from the Yu Family. The violet robes of the Purple Jade Experts were also seen as they scuttled back and forth and the entire city seemed to have entered a suspenseful state.

The usually peaceful and stable Bright Jade City, where the citizens did not even lock their doors at night, was suddenly shrouded with the aura of blood and slaughter!

There was a group of people screaming their innocence while being beaten and locked up by the guards who threw them into prison. However, no one dared to revolt, as those who made a move only had the outcome of being sliced into two by the guards, causing fresh blood to flow miserably on the streets. The city gates on all four directions were tightly locked shut, not allowing anyone to enter or exit, and even the envoys stationed in Bright Jade City were also tightly watched, under the pretext of 'protection'!

For the first time in the last few centuries, Bright Jade City entered into an exceptional fearful state.

As the sky started to brighten up, the dawn turned the sky into a white color much like to the underside of a fish belly. The sun rose as per usual; another day had begun.

In the study of the Yu Family, Yu ManLou looked at the jade pendant placed in front of him on his table. Several of the heads were standing respectfully off to the side, without saying a word. As for the supervisor of the patrols, he stood with his head lowered, with sweat constantly beading on his forehead.

The piece of shattered jade was practically rebuilt from scratch, and from its surface, one could make out faint drawings, much like to that of billowing waves. At the bottom was a row of words carved on it, spelling out, 'Supple As Water'!

If Shui QianRou was here, she would definitely recognize that this piece of jade was the exact one that was blackmailed from her when she had fallen captive under Ling Tian, her family's heirloom: Heaven's Heart Jade!

However, while she might not be present, the people in this room were no run of the mill characters either.

"Everyone, what impressions do you have towards this jade? Please state your thoughts." Without any change in his expression, Yu ManLou pointed at the jade which was shattered beyond repair, blandly saying.

"It… it somehow resembles the jade ornament that the Little Princess BingYan has been carrying around with her! This subordinate remembers how the little princess was always seen running everywhere in the courtyard with this jade attached to her, and furthermore, her jade… somehow looks exactly the same size as this!" A fatty in black clothes stretched out his neck with difficulty, and after staring at the jade for a while, finally confirmed this fact.

"That's right!" Yu ManLou nodded. "The piece of jade on BingYan is actually the same type of treasured jade, an heirloom of our Yu Family. A millennium ago, when the two great families each brought their experts for a final battle in Mount Vacant Sky, the two family heads battled until they fell into a hole within the mountain. Inside the hole actually had the skeletal remains of a peerless expert of his generation, named the Regretless Monarch. Beside him was placed two jades which were exact copies of each other. On one was drawn many clouds, with the phrase 'Sleek as Clouds' and the other was carved valleys and rivers instead, with the words we see right now."

Yu ManLou paused for a while, surveying his surroundings, before continuing in an indifferent tone, "Together with this 'Supple As Water', this secret is something only the Family Heads are allowed to know, and even for the possessors of the jade are not an exception. Even though BingYan is aware that the jade she carries is immeasurably precious, she does not know of its origin."

Everyone was suddenly enlightened! What Yu ManLou was saying was actually a secret from a millennium ago, and it was furthermore one that only the family heads had the authority to know. Before this everyone had never even heard of such a thing and only now did they realize that the jade hanging on the waist of the little princess was actually so precious.

Yu ManLou slowly continued, "At the area where the jades were placed, it was carved as thus on the stone wall, "To separate the jades is to cause the destruction of mankind, when the jades come as one, all below heavens shall bow to it!" Other than this, there was nothing else explaining about the jades. Upon seeing the phrase 'all below heavens shall bow to it', both the ancestors immediately sprang towards it. But both of the capabilities were similar, and both sides could only end up with one piece in the end.

Everyone spontaneously thought, 'No need to talk about the two seniors, anyone in the world, upon seeing this sentence, would also jump out! All below heavens shall bow down to it, what a great temptation!'

"In the end, both of them fought till their dying breaths, and they knew that to continue fighting would cause both sides to suffer losses, and thus they agreed on a truce. They set down the date of a decisive fight to a decade later, with the winner taking it all."

"However, due to the fatal injuries that both sides received, after returning to their homes they could only leave details on this matter before they passed on! From then on, this became the reason why our two families became eternal enemies! In the end, this matter was made known to Beyond and Above Heavens, and thus they arranged a sixty-year generation battle between our two families, and that the winner would be allowed to be in possession of both the jades for a decade, following which they would have to be returned. Whichever side does not keep their word and tries to monopolize it would face the wrath of both sects!"

"The battle for the jade pieces is the feud we've had between us and the Shui Family all this while, on what context do we need the Sects to butt in? How tyrannical! It serves Above Heavens right for being annihilated, and Beyond Heavens are going to suffer also if the Martial Order Medallion owner fails to capture Ling Tian this time! Their reputation would be ruined!" A few of the elders from the Yu Family started grumbling.

Yu ManLou only let out a bitter laugh, "Strength is everything. For our Yu Family to have towered over the entire Heavenly Star Continent for the past millennium, was it not because we had the strength? The reason why the Above Heavens got annihilated was also because their strength did not fit their status! A pity that the strength of Beyond Heavens is still overly strong, even Elder Yu ChaoChen, the number talent in our Yu Family for the past 300 years still lost his life to them!"

"Elder Yu was a heaven-sent genius. No one knows if he was besieged by all of the Beyond Heavens members on the day he died. To think they actually dared to make a show of it and send us his remains! If not for the fact that Family Head told us not to make any rash moves, we would have long gone and slaughtered them!" an expert of the Yu Family cursed.

"Beyond Heavens did not lie to us. The Great Elder and I had examined the corpse of Elder Yu, and we found that he was really only attacked by a single person. There were two identical palm prints found on his chest, one on each side, with all the bones surrounding the print having shattered. Furthermore, Elder Yu's robes were tidy, and his hair was even still well done, from this we deduced that the exchange between them lasted for less than ten moves! This is how scary the opponent's strength was! To think that there could really be such a person in this world!" A rare hint of fear appeared in the voice of Yu ManLou as he spoke.

"Not even 10 moves?! How is this possible?!" Everyone was stunned!

"As such, the moment I received the news that Wei ChengPing had sent out the Martial Order Medallion, I had believed Ling Tian to be a dead man! Nobody in this world would be able to escape the pursuit of the Martial Head! As such, before we have sufficient strength, Beyond Heaven's Sect will be a taboo!" Yu ManLou concluded.

"Back to topic, in this millennium, the two jades have been traded countless times between the Shui and Yu Families, and in the end, no one was still able to discover the secret within them. After a long time, we begin to think that this was merely a joke played by the Regretless Monarch. As such, in the last 300 years, we began to battle merely to prove which side was superior, never asking about the jades ever again. However, as an heirloom, and furthermore a unique piece of warm jade which was beneficial towards frail bodies, I gave it to BingYan to wear. As the time of the battle neared, I was already planning to bring up the topic of the jade slip once again because I believe that while our ancestors were not able to see through it, with the multitude of talents we currently possess, it was still worth a try. But to think that before the battle even started, this piece of jade had already landed on my table!" Yu ManLou laughed out bitterly, "And furthermore, it's already shattered."

"Is Family Head certain that this jade belongs to the Shui Family?" Stroking his white beard, an elder spoke with furrowed brows. "This may not be the case."

"Oh? Why does Head Deacon think so?"

"Based on what I think, for such an important object, how could the Shui Family just toss it out as though it was nothing? Furthermore, if this jade was really the real thing, we still would have to return it to them a decade after the battle. Why would the black-robed man destroy this family heirloom of theirs? Isn't that harming others without benefiting himself?" As he scratched his head he continued, "This old man is thinking, could this jade be a phony?"

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